Mail-box.



H. P. SICKELS.

MAIL BOX,

APPLICATION FILED APR- 5, 1M5

Patented Sept. 11, 1917.

l/IH/E/VTOR Jfarzyfi Sat/ 6655 kale ATTORNEYS WI Til/E8858:

UNTTE @TATEd PATENT Flfim HARRY IE. SICKELS, OFBOCI-IESTER, NEW YORK, A-SSIGNOR TO IN. VU' CO. INC., OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

MAIL-BOX.

Application filed April 5, 1915.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY P. SIoKnLs, of Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail- Boxes; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and to the reference-numerals marked thereon.

My invention has for its purpose to improve the construction of boxes of the class designed for receiving small quantities of mail so as to afford an arrangement that can be manufactured at comparatively small cost and characterized by durability and efiiciency. A further object of the invention is to provide a novel organization of parts which cooperate in a manner to protect the contents of the box, and successfully to withstand the deteriorating influence of exposure in the open.

An additional object sought by my invention resides in making it possible to lock the box securely, to prevent unauthorized removal of its contents, and at the same time to permit ready access to the interlor, 1n a manner whereby the mail contained in the box can be taken outvwithout the slightest difliculty. To these and other ends the invention consists in certain improvements and combinations of parts, all as will be hereinafter more fully described, the novel features being pointed out in the claims at the end of the specification.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspe'ctlve view showlng my invention embodied in a preferred form;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken centrally, the dotted lines showmg the door or front wall in open position, and the retainer raised and in engagement with a paper, and

Fig. 3 is a sectional View on the line 3*-3 of Fig. 2.

Similar reference numerals throughout the several views indicate the same parts.

In the present embodiment of the invention, I employ a receptacle comprising a rear wall 1 and side walls 2, and attached to the rear and side walls is a bottom portlon or wall 3. 4 designates the top which is rigidly attached to the rear wall 1 and provided with a mail receiving slot or opening 5, and.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. it, 1917,

Serial No. 19,109.

6 is a movable door or front wall which will be more fully described hereinafter. The rear and bottom walls, also the top, are preferably constructed of wood or similar material, while the side and front walls are formed from any desirable transparent medium as glass for instance, in order to permit inspection of the interior of the receptacle without opening it. Movably associated with the top l is a cover 7, preferably comprising a plate of sheet metal or suitable material pivotally mounted on a spindle 8. The cover 7 extends entirely over the top, which inclines downwardly as shown, and 9 is a curved flange formed at the forward edge of the top and extending downwardly in front of the latter so as to effectively pre vent access of rain or moisture to the interior of the receptacle. The cover is held normally closed by means of a retainer, preferably in the form of a clip 10 which is pivotally mounted, and actuated by a spring 11. The clip 10 is provided at its forward end with a nose 12, curved to engage the flange 9 on the cover. The retainer performs the double function of maintaining the cover in close engagement with the top of the receptacle, and also in holding a newspaper or similar article that is too large to be inserted into the receptacle, such article being maintained preferably between the retainer and the cover in the manner shown in Fig. 2. It will be understood that letters and similar small pieces of mail are inserted through the slot or opening 5 and removed by opening the movable door or front wall 6 which is held normally locked, and I will now describe the construction and operation of this part of the device.

The side walls 2 are tapered downwardly, the top of the receptacle being of greater width than the bottom, and the front wall 6 is pivotally arranged between the side walls, in downwardly converging and spaced relation, when closed, with the rear wall. In order to support the movable door in pivotal relation to the side walls, I employ connections, consisting in each instance of a bearing comprising a hollow sleeve 13 which is split or longitudinally slotted as designated at let, and constitutes a housing for a coil spring 15. The head 16 engages the outer surface of the side wall, while 17 is a nut engaging the threaded portion of the sleeve and. movable into engagement with the inner surface of the side wall. Arranged for movement on the bearing is a swinging member comprising an angular plate 18 which is attached to the door 6 by means of a set screw 19. The swinging member 18 is actuated by the spring 15, one end of which engages the slot 14 while its opposite end engages the member 18 as shown in Fig. 3. The spring 15 thus serves to actuate the movable door to its closed position as shown in Fig. 2 in full lines, the lower end of the door engaging resilient buffers 20 formed preferably of rubber and disposed in a shoulder 21 on the bottom portion 3. hen the contents of the receptacle are to be re moved, the upper portion of the door is engaged and pushed inwardly in the manner shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, giving ready access to the pieces of mail within the receptacle which will rest more or less on the bottom portion 3, while at the same time having a tendency to move automatically out of the receptacle as the upper part of the door moves inwardly and engages the upper portion of the contents. The bottom POI'\ tion 3 serves however, to retain the contents until they can be grasped, thus preventing the likelihood of their accidental falling from the receptacle as the door is opened.

Any convenient locking means may be utilized to holdthe door closed and prevent unauthorized entering of the receptacle, and this I prefer to accomplish by a rotary look. ing bolt 22 having a projection 23 adapted to engage the inner surface of the movable door and hold it closed as shown in Fig. 2. The

bolt 22 carries a squared outer end Qatwhich may be engaged by a correspondingly shaped key which is used to turn thebolt and move the projection 23 out ofthepath of the door so that the latter may beopened.

The structure which I have described is an exceedingly unique and practicable combination of parts that can be readily manufactured and assembled at reasonable cost and it afiords a durable box which when exposed in the open will completely protect the interior, and at the same time-overcome the likelihood of any one surreptitiously removing anything from the interior, and permitting ready discharge of the contents when the door is unlocked.

I claim as myinvention:

1. In amail box, the combination with a receptacle including a top having a mail receiving opening therein, of a movable cover cooperating with the top, and a spring actuated retainer engaging the cover to hold it closed and movable independently of the cover. i i

2. In a mail box, the combination with a receptacle including a top havinga mail receiving opening therein, of a movable cover cooperating with the top, and a spring actuated retainer extending across the upper surface of the cover, holding it closed, and movable independently of the cover to hold an article between it and the cover.

HARRY P. SICKELS;

Witnesses:

H. G. STONEBRAKER, RussnLL B. GRIFFITH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. i 

